Learning to Live Again, Learning to Love
by PikaSass
Summary: A little AAML I wrote kinda quickly! How does Misty's best friend of 7 years react when her life is temporarily but dramatically changed? Will he stand by her side?


DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon!

A/N: Okay, this plot is probably terribly overdone, but you might like it. You never know! Please review, because reviews are a small glimmer of joy in my otherwise sad and non-existent life. Thankyou!

A small hospital room had had a sole occupant for a little over a month. This occupant had been moved from the intensive care unit after being admitted for serious injuries caused by a car crash. Her name was Misty Waterflower, aged 17. She had been driving along a country road one Saturday night when a drunken driver had lost control and smashed head on with her. Wiped out her hopes and expectations of life in an unexpected second.

Despite the obvious cheerfulness this small room radiated, Misty could only find painful reminders of what she was now incapable of doing. Paintings of graceful ballerinas in mid-leaps, their legs illuminating every fibre of suppleness and leniency they had strived so hard towards. The walls painted a sunshine yellow - sunshine that Misty could no longer stretch towards in an attempt to absorb its welcoming light and warmth.

But the most wounding thing of all was the view. The huge window to her left provided a clear portrait of the world she had once fitted into so easily. A world she had taken for granted. Everywhere she looked people were swimming in the small lake, rollerblading through tree-lined paths and enjoying summer strolls.

Misty could've easily cried 100 tears for each day she had spent in here - which she had counted as being close to 50. But Misty never cried, she knew it never changed anything. She wore a suit of armor when it came to pain. It was no wonder the doctor had been so surprised at her lack of emotion when he had told her the most shocking news of her life...

**FLASHBACK**

"Misty, you've just woken up from a twenty day coma, which in itself is remarkable" the doctor announced.

"Coma? Is my head...?" Misty feebly whispered, every ounce of strength drained from her.

"You have no serious head injuries, which is also amazing" the doctor said, and Misty's weak sigh of relief brought smiles to the nurses who had been monitoring her since she had been brought in. But the doctor's face looked grave, and Misty instantly picked up on it.

"But...?" she started.

The doctor sighed. "The biggest injury is your back. It's been severely fractured and your hip is also in pretty bad shape. To be blunt Misty..." He paused and eyed her with sorrow imprinted all over her face. "It will be years before you'll be able to walk again."

Misty gasped and blinked away the tears that were building in her now wide eyes. "Years" she repeated flatly.

"It could be as little as one year or as long as 10 years. It all depends on how your back heals" the doctor explained.

Misty nodded. "I see" she said in the same monotonous tone. "Well then, I'll just have to make sure I'm up and about in a year" she said bravely. She ignored her plummeting heart and the pain that was causing her soul to crumble...

**END FLASHBACK**

And now, a month after Misty had woken up, very little if any progress had been made. She was free to go in a week, but how would she be free if she couldn't walk? Freedom meant being able to feel the summer grass at the soles of your feet, treading cool yet refreshing water as it sent delightful chills through your body. Freedom was, in itself, just being. Not existing as a stationary organism. 

The door to her room opened and for a while Misty could only see a huge bouquet of flowers. Then the flowers trembled slightly as their holder came into view, a mischievous grin dominating Ash Ketchum's face.

"Ash! Those must have cost a fortune!" Misty exclaimed at her best friend of 7 years.

Ash shrugged. "I think Mom picked them herself" he informed her.

"That's the 3rd bouquet she's sent me! Tell her to stop!" Misty laughed. She wasn't kidding. Delia Ketchum had been so worried about Misty, whom she almost considered to be her foster daughter. Not that Misty minded. She loved Delia, and was already as close to Ash as any brother or sister could be.

"Uh, where should I put them?" Ash asked uncertainly, finding it difficult to see a vacant spot in the wake of the other bouquets and gifts. The list of senders and visitors went on and on - Brock, Tracey, Professor Oak, her sisters, every gym leader in Kanto, Richie, and even Jessie, James and Meowth had had an inkling of sympathy for her.

But Ash had always been there, even while she was in the coma. He would sit next to her and tell her stories, plead that she would wake up, send on messages from other loved ones. His loyalty and love towards Misty was obvious to anyone who watched him with her.

"Try the stereo" Misty suggested. Ash walked over and found enough room for the flowers to be placed safely.

"I brought that 60s tape you wanted" Ash announced, holding up the tape in question.

Misty gasped. "Ash, I didn't think you would remember! Thankyou so much! Put it on, put it on!" she urged.

"Okay okay" Ash muttered. He loaded the tape and pushed play as the opening chords of a song titled "Those Were The Days" vibrated from the machine. Ash inwardly cringed. Maybe the lyrics would make Misty be reminded of what she had lost.

But instead he heard her squealing. "I LOVE this song! 'Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end, we'd sing and dance forever and a day...'" she crooned in her most terrible voice and they were both laughing when she finished.

"Keep it down, Mist, this is a hospital remember" Ash said through his giggles.

"Like I could forget" Misty said warily, rolling her eyes. But a gleam was beaming through her eyes that Ash had almost forgotten was there.

The next half hour consisted of competitions to see who had the most terrible, warbling voice, but both of them got lost in the hilarity of it all and laughter soon overrode the singing.

"Ow, my throat is sore" Misty complained through a yawn.

"Then lie down and rest, don't over-exert yourself, do you want some painkillers or something?" Ash asked frantically, forever worried about Misty.

She laid back and closed her eyes. "No Ash, I'm fine" she said quietly. Ash assumed she was being quiet because her throat was sore, but it was only two seconds later that he witnessed a single tear slowly travelling down her cheek. One tear that instantly ripped his heart to shreds.

"Misty, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, standing beside her bed.

"Turn off the music. Please, Ash" Misty pleaded. Ash immediately did so but couldn't help showing his confusion. "That was 'The Twist'" she answered his silent question, her eyes now open.

Ash nodded. "I know."

"And it just occurred to me that I'll never be able to dance the Twist or the Hustle or even the damn Macarena ever again" Misty said bitterly, but the pain in her voice sliced through the bitterness and went straight to Ash's heart.

"Oh Misty, don't think like that. You heard what the doctor said. It will take years, but you will walk again" he confidentially, sitting beside her bed and gently holding her hand, similar to what he had done when she was in the coma.

Misty shook her head. "But what if he's wrong? What if I'm doomed to forever stay still? I can't, Ash, I just can't..." She stopped herself as her voice became suffocated with emotion.

There was no doubt in Ash's mind that seeing her talk like this was killing him, but it was also, in a sense, filling him with relief. This seemed to be the first show of true emotion Misty had shown since she had woken up.

"There's no point being negative at something that's never gonna happen. You are gonna walk and run and dance and - "

"STOP!" Misty yelled, anger flashing in her eyes as she interrupted Ash. "I don't wanna hear about what I can't do and what the rest of the world is currently taking for granted! Don't you think I get reminded of that every freaking day?!" She flung an arm to her left, indicating the window with its painful view and avoided Ash's concerned gaze.

"I'm sorry Misty, that was..." He sighed and continued. "It was selfish of me. I didn't think. But you will walk. I know you will."

The anger in Misty's eyes subsided with the tears that were now welling up in them. "I wish I could believe you, Ash."

"Then don't believe me. Go on thinking that you're never gonna walk again. But I'm afraid you're going to be highly disappointed when you put your feet on the ground one day and find that they move" Ash said sourly. He hated arguing with her, he really did, especially over something so serious.

Misty sighed as two tears slowly trickled down her cheeks, leaving wet, shiny trails that spoke of pain that had been contained for so long. "Since when have any of my dreams ever come true?" she whispered.

Ash was still sitting beside her when she spoke this. He could only look at her with nothing but sympathy. He could hardly imagine being in her position, losing all hope of ever properly living again.

"Misty?" he said softly.

"Yeah" Misty replied feebly, her head turned away from him.

"If it's any consolation, not many people have their dreams come true. So you should be very grateful that yours are going to" Ash said gently, not wanting to be insensitive again.

Misty sniffled. "Have any of your dreams come true?" she asked suddenly, facing him again, the anger now completely drained from her eyes. In fact, her eyes were drained of anything but tears.

Ash smiled. "Hardly. I s'pose the biggest dream was becoming a Pokémon Master, but y'know...sometimes things don't work out that way" he shrugged.

"Ash, I didn't ask if your biggest dream came true. I asked if any, and I mean ANY, of your dreams have ever come true" Misty said sternly.

Ash paused and thought hard before slowly shaking his head. "Not yet. All in due course, hopefully."

"It must be nice to be optimistic" Misty said softly, once again gazing out the window.

At this point, Ash couldn't take anymore. He hated seeing Misty go through this and, though he knew this could possibly augment her despair even further, he slowly lifted his hand and gently placed it on her cheek. 

As he had expected her to, Misty hastily swiveled her head to meet his eyes, her own widening in surprise. "Ash, w-what are you doing?" she asked nervously.

Ash smiled and eyed her carefully. "Well, I'm hoping to make one of my dreams come true right now." Misty raised an eyebrow as he finished speaking.

"How do you plan to do that?"

Ash didn't answer her. Instead he slowly, almost cautiously, brought his lips to hers, savouring the feel of the kiss, knowing it could be the first and last time he ever felt it. He waited for her to push him away, to glare into his eyes and vow never to speak to him again.

But instead he found himself in a state of pleasurable shock as Misty returned the kiss with as much love and emotion as he too was feeling. The two of them reluctantly broke it off and could only stare at each other in a mingle of shock and joy.

"Wow" Misty breathed.

"Well that's half a dream come true" Ash grinned.

"Only half?" Misty asked with wide eyes. How could something so big, so...awaited for only be half a dream? For one mere kiss from Ash had been one of Misty's biggest dreams since she had first laid eyes on him. 

"You see...the other half was to kinda get your confirmation that this isn't a one way thing" Ash explained, his hand still lightly grasping hers.

"For one thing Ash, I kissed you back" Misty pointed out. "Wasn't that enough?"

"Mist, in this case, words have to speak louder than actions. Tell me how you feel. Please. I need to know" Ash said in an almost desperate tone.

Misty smiled and tightened her grip on Ash's hand. "Ash, it took seven years, but it was pretty inevitable, don't you think? If you hadn't initiated it now, one of us would have sooner or later. So if you really must know, I've been in love with you for the past seven years." She paused and bit her bottom lip. "However..."

Ash's heart almost leapt to his throat at that one word. It could mean anything. "However what?"

Misty sighed. "I'm a bloody paraplegic now. I can't do half the things I used to. Are you sure you can put up with that and my therapy and my negativity?"

"You shouldn't be negative. Because you'll be walking. And I'll be with you the whole way, be it one year or ten years" Ash promised. "I love you, and whether you can walk or not doesn't come into the picture at all."

Misty smiled and weakly accepted the hug Ash bestowed on her, her emotions overriding her strength. "I love you too."

And in that very hospital room, where Misty had been recovering for the past month or so, feelings that had developed over seven years were let loose with two identical dreams coming true simultaneously. In that room, Misty was told she would have to learn to walk there. But now she knew that all she needed to do to live again was to learn to love. And that, she already knew, wouldn't be difficult.

A/N: OVERDONE PLOT!!! Yes, I know. Sue me. I'm bored. I wrote this in...let's see, 20-30 minutes. Approximately 26 minutes. Let's be precise! Uh, yeah. Anyways, review and tell me what I already know, it's overdone and it sucks and I should've quit while I was ahead. Yup. Go for it! ^_^ (Geez, what a negative A/N!)


End file.
